News Analysis and Media Management Plan - Essay Example

?Media in the Social Media Age: News Analysis and Media Management Plan As Command PR prepares to launch season 2 of its famous The Spin Crowd reality show in the EMEA region on June 22, 2012, the company management ought to prepare for the show’s reception, considering the criticism it received during the first season. However, criticism is not the only factor the management should consider, but also the remarks of faithful followers of the program to identify areas that directors or the cast should improve. The aim of this paper is to give a proactive plan for preparations before the launch, and a reactive plan for stakeholders to prepare the CEO for the harsh criticism the show may face and give answers to commonly asked questions in a Q&A section. Proactive Plan Integrated Plan for Industrial Mass Media and Social Media Activity The company should use all available avenues in the EMEA region to advertise the show before its release; including traditional media and contemporary media. Traditional media in the EMEA region include television and billboards, the former having two categories, pay TV and free TV. The agencies in those regions should contact both the service providers and content providers to ensure that adverts for the show appear in the evening just after prime news for maximum publicity. In addition, they should contact advertising firms and rent billboards for use in the two week period before the launch (Clow and Baack 2007, pp. 165-171; Kurtz 2010, p. 64). Internet powered media like social networks, blogs and internet advertisements should serve as suitable channels for informing the public of the show. The firm will open pages for the show in all main social networks, and the cast will interact directly with their fans. Secondly, there will be a blog whose main function will be to receive the people who have been redirected from website advertisements. This blog will contain all schedules for the show, behind the scenes footage, and any other information the firm deems necessary for viewers. The firm will have to constitute a committee whose main functions will be to ensure that all goes as planned, and identify any weaknesses in the plan (Kaplan and Haenlein 2010, p. 63). Briefing Sheet for Retained EMEA Region PR Agencies All agencies should abide to a set of guidelines to ensure a smooth and successful launch of The Spin Crowd; otherwise, the work force in the various agencies should use their best judgement to ensure maximum publicity without compromising the efforts of others. These guidelines include: The accepted medium of communication is email, which should always be accompanied by a follow up call. Every agency should implement requests communicated to it within the given timeline; if not so, the agency should communicate to the headquarters with immediate effect. Failure to take one of the two measures attracts heavy fines, a license revocation, or both. On reception of any requests from the headquarters, every agency should state when and how the agency would implement the request. When setting timelines, all the agencies should consider the time differences depending on the region. Other requirements will be communicated to agencies as they emerge (Johnson 2005, p. 218). Program Adaptations The EMEA region has many countries and localities with varying cultural, economic and legal aspects; and the show may need to be adapted to ensure maximum viewing. For instance, some countries require that programs aired on national television should not contain strong language among other limitations. Therefore, the firm will censor and /or rate the program accordingly in adherence to the local requirements. In addition, depending on if the program will be aired on free TV or pay TV, it may need to be adjusted by shortening some episodes to make room for advertisements and fit into the schedules of the stations. Finally, interactions with fans will indicate the age or social classes that are interested in the program and make appropriate modifications, if necessary. This way, season 2 will have a better following than season 1 due to its adaptations and adjustments to suit the needs of viewers (Rheingold 2002, p. 288; Phillips 2009, p. 78). Audio-Visual Support Material During the period prior to launch, the firm will concentrate all its efforts and resources to creating maximum publicity for the program, including showing to potential viewers sample clips. On still billboards, images from the scenes in the program will be used, while digital billboards will contain short clips of various scenes that may be of interest to potential viewers. On the internet, blogs and social media pages will contain links that lead to clips and trailers for the program; these clips will be hosted on YouTube and other video hosting sites. In addition, websites, blogs and social media will have pictures of the cast and scenes for people to download and use, increasing public awareness for the show even more. In addition to these visual and audio-visual materials, audio downloads for previews, reviews, and commentaries will be available especially for regions with low bandwidth internet. Due to the overwhelming success of the internet as a marketing avenue, the firm will make available a DVD version of the show in various online markets. This version will be feature packed and will contain exclusive material that will not be aired on TV; enticing interested buyers to order the program pre-release (Kietzmann, Hermkens and Bruno 2011, pp. 241-245; Biagi 2005 p. 212). Reactive Plan CEO’s Briefing The Spin Crowd is a reality show featuring six employees in Command PR, which aims to portray the daily happenings in the firm’s offices. The show is a brilliant idea, but it faces severe criticism from the PR fraternity who accuse the firm of lowering standards, compromising on quality, and creating a poor public image for the PR professional. Though the views expressed in the show are divergent from common beliefs, the show offers the public and the PR fraternity a different way of doing things in an old profession. However, sometimes the cast goes overboard in their utterances and actions, and our job is to ensure that viewers see the bright side of such utterances and actions. The approach the firm should take to promote the show is by having the highest-ranking officer in the company to praise the positive elements of the show, and downplay any negative beliefs and perceptions people may have about it. In this line, you, as the CEO, will have premeditated answers to offer to journalists in case of a media interview; to prevent the likelihood of saying the wrong thing that may undo the positive marketing that has been going on. Secondly, you are to write a blog post and an article in a journal to promote the show directly or indirectly. Finally, there should be a memo to all employees, the cast, and other stakeholders requesting them to refrain from commenting on issues that they are not sure about, or those that critics may quote to give the show a negative image. The only person allowed to make comments about the show is the company spokesperson, or anyone designated to perform that duty (Fraser 2007, p. 218). Key Messages for Media Interviews In case of a media conference, the CEO should always escape from questions that journalists pose to make their stories juicier. The CEO should only answer questions related to the show and not those aimed at the firm; and when doing so, he should only tell the journalists what they already know but in different words. This is because, unlike a blog or a written statement, a live interview may result in a person saying things they did not mean or were not supposed to say. For instance, the CEO should not comment on the various themes depicted in the show, especially those that point to illegal or unethical directions. The CEO should make it clear to the journalists that though its real life, The Spin Crowd is a show like any other, and the CEO should not let journalists lead him to portray it as anything else. Finally, the CEO should always give a disclaimer that the show gives no warranties whatsoever, and the producer of the show has the right to edit, exaggerate, or alter the show in any way to suit his intentions for the show (Calcagni 2007, p. 28). Blog Post for the CEO Title: The Spin Crowd Body: the show is a real life recording of what happens in the Command PR offices and is aimed at showing the public what happens to people who know what they want, have what it takes, and are willing to give their all to achieve their dreams. Nevertheless, what spurned the desire to create something unconventional? People all over the world are used to being normal and conforming to the standards of the day, little do they know that even what is termed as ‘normal’ today was alien at one time before its adoption. It is in this vein that our company decided to have a show about ourselves, and create the new norm, criticisms notwithstanding. In the long-run, viewers and critics alike will appreciate the programs main idea of letting every leader lead in his or her own style as long as doing so brings substantial profits for the firm in which one works. Join me in the spin-world and see how the real experts in the business implement their art as they deal with the glamour of Hollywood (Watts 2003, p. 368; Caponigro 2002, p. 156). Article for CEO Title: Command PR My name is Cheban, the CEO of Command PR, the firm behind the famous The Spin Crowd show. The main aim of coming up with the show is to change people’s perception of the PR job, it is not all about staying in offices with a dull dress code strategizing a company’s next move. The PR professional also includes travel, socialisation, and interaction with influential people, especially for those of us who work with Hollywood celebrities and firms. In addition, the show also shows the public that employees in PR firms are human, and they have another fascinating life despite the one at the office. Command PR is devoted so much to its clients that we blend in with them and adopt their ways, in this case, the celebrity lifestyle. If we were working in a different environment, the situation would have been different since people work best with others if they have something in common. Therefore, our show is not only a depiction of what happens in our offices, but also the goings-on of Hollywood’s life on the fast lane. Disclaimer: Command PR, its employees, and the producer of The Spin Crowd show do not recommend other companies to adopt the approach depicted in the program; every firm should strive to establish its own culture (Benkler 2006, p. 215). Biography of the CEO Jonathan Cheban was born on February 21, 1974 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States of America. He graduated from Hofstra University in 1995, with an honours degree and decided to join the world of public relations in 1998 by starting command PR in conjunction with Simon Huck, his dear friend. Command PR works for many Hollywood based personalities and firms. Later on his dream and ambition for wanting to stand out as a performer in his profession, he started The Spin Crowd show, which in his original idea, was a show that shows how service firms should be like their clients in every way for them to deliver their services more effectively. Q&A Q1: Do you not think it is unethical for the firm to portray employees, especially female ones as inferior to their boss? A: While the show portrays these notions, it does not mean that is how things are at the office. In any case, as disclaimers say, nobody is advised to act as the characters do. Q2: Why does the cast use foul language, especially the boss when addressing his employees? A: The Spin Crowd is limited to an audience that is comfortable with the language used, otherwise, people should refrain from watching the show if they are not comfortable with strong language. Q3: Is that dress code the right one? A: Yes, every company has the right to decide its own culture; ours is just different from all others. Q3: What is the moral of the story? Identify what you want and go for it, no matter the price you have to pay (Ademola 2005, p. 539; Erdogan 2002, p. 257). 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